mgbinspect Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I've been kicking this around for about three weeks, and I think I'm about to jump: I'm thinking VERY SERIOUSLY that the Kindle might be the ultimate reference resource for a home inpsector. I see where there are even a couple of Code Checks available for Kindle. I think they're not legit copies, but no doubt, soon the entire Code Check series, along with the IRC, the NHBA Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, etc. will all be available for Kindle. So, you can have an entire book shelf of references and files (PDFs and Word Docs like our serial number charts) at your fingertips, with: no bootup time; a 3000 book or file capacity; wifi to download and install stuff in seconds; and an average battery life of a MONTH (unbelievable). Not to mention that there are over 300,000 books available for the Kindle and tons of them are FREE (Classics). You can, apparently even bookmark and highlight text. Books are indexed for easy searching. Kindle is apparently the best of the bunch, for a number of reasons: readability in any light is a big one for us if we're going to use it outside. At any rate, for a mere $149.00, I'm not coming up with a downside. I think it's going to be the gift to my business that keeps on giving, as I find more and more stuff to cram into it and access in seconds on a piece of equipment 6" x 9" and about the thickness of a pencil and 5.8 oz in weight - mind boggling... I think today might be the day to give this a try.
Marc Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 At this point when I'm trying to become skilled at finding references in the IRC, I find it better to have the physical book itself in my hands. I often go rapidly back and forth from the TOC to the rest of the book. Can't do that to my satisfaction with electronic means. I do have the 06' International family of code books on my hard drive but that's mostly for copy/pasting into a report or for posting. Marc
mgbinspect Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Posted March 13, 2011 At this point when I'm trying to become skilled at finding references in the IRC, I find it better to have the physical book itself in my hands. I often go rapidly back and forth from the TOC to the rest of the book. Can't do that to my satisfaction with electronic means. I do have the 06' International family of code books on my hard drive but that's mostly for copy/pasting into a report or for posting. Marc Well, I just picked one up and now I'm even MORE PUMPED than I already was. It just gets better: YO RANDY AND JIM K - You guys might find this of particular interest to you, from a previous thread of mine; It turns out that the Kindle has a "text to speach" feature. Any book you have on your Kindle can be READ TO YOU WHILE YOU DRIVE! Nice!!!! No doubt, it won't be Peter Greaves or some other celebrity reading it to you, but I don't care. A robotic voice is endurable. [:-tophat]
Jim Katen Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I'll be interested to hear about your experience of actually using it. I have an older Kindle (the original model) that my wife gave me when she upgraded to the latest fancy version. It's fine for reading books but it seems like it would be clumsy to use as a reference tool. I've got my laptop with me during the inspection. It's loaded with all of my reference materials. Why would I want to use another machine for reference stuff?
mgbinspect Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Posted March 13, 2011 I'll be interested to hear about your experience of actually using it. I have an older Kindle (the original model) that my wife gave me when she upgraded to the latest fancy version. It's fine for reading books but it seems like it would be clumsy to use as a reference tool. I've got my laptop with me during the inspection. It's loaded with all of my reference materials. Why would I want to use another machine for reference stuff? I understand, I don't use my laptop on site anymore. My software is on a tiny PDA, which is pretty convenient, so the kindle might work for me as a be all reference tool. I will keep you all posted. I've just loaded it with a lot of good PDFs and Word Docs to take with me. I thought you, might be especially interested with that text to speach feature for reading (listening) on the road?
Jim Katen Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 . . . I thought you, might be especially interested with that text to speach feature for reading (listening) on the road? Depends on whether or not it sounds like Robbie the Robot.
rbaake Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 At this point when I'm trying to become skilled at finding references in the IRC, I find it better to have the physical book itself in my hands. I often go rapidly back and forth from the TOC to the rest of the book. Can't do that to my satisfaction with electronic means. I do have the 06' International family of code books on my hard drive but that's mostly for copy/pasting into a report or for posting. Marc I took a IRC One and Two family Dwellings class a couple of years ago at my local CC. 140 hours of how to navigate the book! I recommend it highly!
Ken Meyer Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 Kindle for PC is available from Amazon for free. That way you can have the reference books on your laptop, and you wouldn't need the Kindle.
Ben H Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I couldn't sit and listen to it. [utube] " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344">
kurt Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I've found the Kindle to have a single benefit; if you're on the road, it's a great way to take a bunch of books with you. I think they're amazingly cool, I love it, but not necessarily outside the travel thing. Reference material is readily available on my laptop in greater profusion than a Kindle can accommodate, and I can cut and paste it. If I'm not traveling, I like books, I like holding them, smelling them, grabbing favorites and opening them to the middle, and when not touching them, simply admiring them.
Brandon Whitmore Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I like holding them, smelling them, grabbing favorites and opening them to the middle, and when not touching them, simply admiring them Were you daydreaming about something else when you wrote this?
mgbinspect Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Posted March 13, 2011 I like holding them, smelling them, grabbing favorites and opening them to the middle, and when not touching them, simply admiring them Were you daydreaming about something else when you wrote this? [:-thumbu]
mgbinspect Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Posted March 13, 2011 I've found the Kindle to have a single benefit; if you're on the road, it's a great way to take a bunch of books with you. I think they're amazingly cool, I love it, but not necessarily outside the travel thing. Reference material is readily available on my laptop in greater profusion than a Kindle can accommodate, and I can cut and paste it. If I'm not traveling, I like books, I like holding them, smelling them, grabbing favorites and opening them to the middle, and when not touching them, simply admiring them. I do know what you mean. It's going to be tough getting my copy of Architectural Graphics Standards on a Kindle. But, for me, I think it's going to work, since I don't use my laptop on site.
kurt Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 I like holding them, smelling them, grabbing favorites and opening them to the middle, and when not touching them, simply admiring them Were you daydreaming about something else when you wrote this? Hell yes. Books and women are a much better topic than tubes, chimneys, makeup, women, or whatever the hell those people on the other thread were rambling about.
mgbinspect Posted March 22, 2011 Author Report Posted March 22, 2011 Update: I'm really getting into having the ability to open books or documents on site in about 5 seconds - no bootup; searchable by key words; etc. I'm looking for recommendations on manuals worth having that aren't too technical for what we do, but are great resources. I've already downloaded Chaings Residentail Construction Illustrated, thanks to Jim K's comment on another thread. Please mention any books that you've found to be a useful resource here. Thanks.
mgbinspect Posted April 13, 2011 Author Report Posted April 13, 2011 For anyone that's interested. I've finally finished the memoirs of US Grant and am into the first of the three volumes of The Civil War: A Narrative, by Shelby Foote. Honestly, I love this thing. I get to listen to books on audio for about one half to one third of their cost on CD, and it plugs right into my automobile stereo with a cable. The narration is a bit robotic, but not bad at all. And, as long as you have a wifi signal, you can purchase and download almost any book in about fifteen seconds. Every time I start my vehicle, I'm enjoying US History at its best. I'm in heaven... The Kindle rocks.. well worth $139.00
Marc Posted April 13, 2011 Report Posted April 13, 2011 For anyone that's interested. I've finally finished the memoirs of US Grant and am into the first of the three volumes of The Civil War: A Narrative, by Shelby Foote. Honestly, I love this thing. I get to listen to books on audio for about one half to one third of their cost on CD, and it plugs right into my automobile stereo with a cable. The narration is a bit robotic, but not bad at all. And, as long as you have a wifi signal, you can purchase and download almost any book in about fifteen seconds. Every time I start my vehicle, I'm enjoying US History at its best. I'm in heaven... The Kindle rocks.. well worth $139.00 I'm no authority on it but isn't listening to audio and driving at the same time considered an example of multiplexing? I dunno if I wanna ride with you. [] Marc
Tom Raymond Posted April 13, 2011 Report Posted April 13, 2011 He's got ADD, I wouldn't ride with him unless he was distracted []
mgbinspect Posted April 13, 2011 Author Report Posted April 13, 2011 What's the difference between listening to a book or talk radio or music for that matter? Heck, I haven't been in an automobile accident since I was seveteen - forty-two years ago. It must be OK. Yet, Tom's right. I can drive, conduct business and still notice tfhe hawk way up in a tree all at the same time - input overflow...
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